(AN: If you know the quest names from Fallout 4, then you know precisely what's going to happen in this "little" chapter! I had initially planned it to be chapter 3, but found that meeting Danse became too tedious and over-drawn to be just a few paragraphs before this, so I split them up. I know, that dragged the story out [I don't even like when stories spend too much time before the main plot kicks in: it's one of the many reasons I can't read any other high fantasy novel besides Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit], but it was less burden on me, which means more chapters for you.)

(If you were wondering about Nathan's "obsession" with Nora's holotape, don't worry. It's important.)

The Story of the Century

Morning at the ArcJet Systems factory. Danse woke Nathan from his sleep around 5am. They had a long day of walking today to get them back to the Cambridge Police Station. For breakfast there was nothing but a box of Fancy Lad snack-cakes Dogmeat found jammed in the Nuka-Cola machine in the lobby. Hardly nutritious at all, but there wasn't much choice in the matter. Nathan hoped to find better food in his journey, especially once he reached Diamond City. Danse, seeing Nathan's predicament, shared with him some of his Brotherhood-issued First Strike field rations: a pocket sandwich, half a hunk of bread, and some cheese spread. Nathan accepted this graciously: he had eaten rations like this, and worse, during his time in Alaska, and he knew that these could keep a man on his feet for a while. Dogmeat's big brown eyes looked quite sad at the lack of food for him, and Nathan sympathetically patted his head.

"Don't worry, boy. I'll find you something."

Once they had eaten, Danse suited back up, Nathan shouldered his duffle bag, and the two of them headed outside to see if the coast was clear. The storm had abated some time last night, and there wasn't a thing in sight: only the yellow glare of the sun rising up out of the Atlantic far away. They had plenty of time ahead of them to go as far as they needed to go. The plan was to go as far as the southern side of the University Bridge, after which Danse would go north back to the Police Station and Nathan would go south and east, towards Diamond City.

From ArcJet, they made a southeasterly beeline towards the Massachusetts Turnpike. Though Danse stated that they should stay to the northern side of the overpass and not get entangled with anyone or thing upon it. According to his intelligence, the Gunners were in great force on the Turnpike, and their weaponry was - reading between the lines of disparaging remarks about 'mercenary scum' - on a level close to that of the Brotherhood. In any case, Danse was not prepared to tangle with them, nor was Nathan, and so they both avoided them.

Several hours after they had left ArcJet, they crossed the western branch of the Charles River at a shallow point and came into a residential area filled with rundown houses very similar to Sanctuary. Wild dogs, hairless and feral, roamed these streets, and would try to attack them. It was all that Nathan could do to keep Dogmeat from lunging at them and getting into fights. A few laser blasts shot over their heads, or at the bolder ones, sent them running with their naked tails between their legs. As they went, they came upon a grocery store and searched for anything Nathan could salvage. Most of the food was gone - a product of the many 'free government-issued programs' before the War - but there was a pack of Salisbury steak and two cans of dog food. Dogmeat was jubilant at this discovery, wagging his tail and hovering eagerly around Nathan as he tried to open the can with his screw-driver. Once it was open, he devoured it hungrily and licked up the insides of the can; needless to say, nothing was left for later.

Once they left the supermarket, there came a hail of gunfire from the Turnpike. Not at them, but the sound set them on edge. Danse said that it must be the Gunners, and decided to leave following the Turnpike and head northeast.

"We can cut across these ruined suburbs," he said. "And approach the northern arm of the Charles River. Then we can follow it along to the University Bridge."

Nathan agreed with the idea, and so they set off northeast, away from the gunfire from the Turnpike. Minutes passed one after the other, and soon they were come upon a place where had once been a forest set aside for the conservation of Dolan Pond. But now the trees were mostly gone, and only a few stumps or scraggly, leaf-less giants remained.

"What could have done this?" Nathan asked. "Was this the bombs?"

"Possibly," Danse replied. "There's areas of high radiation on both sides of the Charles River the closer you get to Boston. But this was someone else."

Near Dolan Pond, they found the answer. The area before it had been cleared, and small shacks were set up here and there. Nestled in the midst of the shacks was a man-made hill, into which a door with a still-glowing light could be seen. At the entrance of the door was a crude sign, upon which was written 'Vault 81.'

"Another Vault!" Nathan exclaimed. Into his mind came the wild thought that, maybe, he could find other survivors. This was quickly dissipated by what Danse had told him last night. Likely any inhabitants had long since died off, the hapless guinea pigs of Vault-Tec's twisted experiments.

"There's the answer to your question," Danse said. "Vault-Tec."

"Do you suppose there's anyone else inside?" Nathan asked.

"Likely we won't find anyone in there," came the reply. "Or if not, they'll be insane. They still tell ghost stories of Vault 108 back in the Capital Wasteland."

But Nathan was still intrigued about this Vault. The lights were still on. Perhaps someone was inside? Perhaps they could give him some help with his search for Shaun. At the very least, there might still be some supplies he could use for his own search.

"I'm coming back for you," he said.

"You can put a marker on your Pip-Boy's map to remind you of its location," Danse commented.

Nathan took a look at his Pip-Boy and opened up the map. A single tap of his finger on the screen would set a tiny beacon that pulsed at regular intervals. He put it on the area near Dolan Pond, then let his left arm hang down at his side.

"Let's go," he said.

From Vault 81 they continued northeast until they came to the banks of the Charles River. Now they passed alongside the southern banks, following it until they saw the Turnpike run alongside it. They moved now into its shadows, hoping to evade watchful eyes on top by walking underneath it. This was much easier said than done, for at odd intervals there would be a collapsed portion of highway that would leave them open as they tried to find a way around it. The river continued to snake this way and that, until it turned about northward. Here Danse led them down towards the Turnpike. Accordingly, there were fewer Gunners on this side of the Turnpike, at least until one went east of Diamond City.

Through the streets of the city of Boston they were now passing. Many of the buildings were dilapidated, long since fallen into disrepair. Others, aside from a few collapsed floors, were still standing and, as Danse had said, could be used to house people. Nathan was now focused on getting to the University Bridge and continuing on with his own mission. It was about 10:38 in the morning when they at last got sight of the Boston University Bridge. Here Danse turned to Nathan to bid his farewells.

"Thank you for taking me this far," Nathan said. "You really didn't have to."

"We were going the same way," Danse returned. "For your helping the Brotherhood, a simple escort would be acceptable. Godspeed, civilian. If you ever find yourself back in the Cambridge area, I'd be honored to have you with us. Perhaps you'll reconsider my offer."

"Thanks, Danse," he replied. "I appreciate it. And call me Nathan."

"Ad Victoriam, Nathan," Danse said, speaking a Latin phrase which Nathan was sure Nora would know the proper translation for. Before departing, he knelt down in his armor and gave the dog a pat on the head. "Take care of him for me, boy." Dogmeat licked the metal glove of Danse's Power Armor, which made the hardened soldier chuckle fondly. He then rose to his feet and began looking this way and that for the nearest access to the University Bridge.

Nathan then went on his way, trying to recall the way to Fenway Park. It had been so long since he had gone to a baseball game. As he went this way and that, his thoughts drifted back to Sanctuary Hills 210 years ago. He had bought Shaun a baseball glove for when he grew up: nothing more American than baseball. It brought a smile to his face, but also disappointment. Strange what seemed so important so long ago was now only a memory. But he tried not to think about it overmuch. He had to focus on his main task.

It took him twenty-one minutes to arrive at his destination, winding his way through eerily bare streets, keeping his eyes peeled for raiders, feral ghouls, or anything else. As he made his way down Mountfort Street, which would lead him directly there, he heard gunfire resounding from the east. Hurrying as fast as he could, with Dogmeat following on at his side, tongue wagging and an eager look in his brown eyes, they ran until Mountfort turned into Maitland. Nathan then decided to take a shortcut through a parking lot that would put him directly in front of Fenway Park. As he went there, he suddenly saw himself standing before a wall made of junk, like the ones at Sanctuary. There was a gate in that wall, over which hung a sign made of wooden boards upon which was painted the words: Welcome to Diamond City.

Just beyond he could hear the sounds of gunfire, and loud, guttural voices shouting challenges. With Righteous Authority in hand, he followed the sounds until he came to the far-side of the parking lot, just before the intersection of David Oritz Drive, Brookline Avenue, and Jersey Street. Here he saw several men wearing armor made out of junk - what appeared to be football pads and helmets - wielding rifles, shotguns, and pipe weapons similar to those of the raiders he had fought in Concord. They were engaging several large creatures, about eight feet tall; these were hairless mountains of muscle covered in green skin and armor made from scrap metal and other pieces of junk. The exchange carried on for several minutes, with neither side showing any sign of relenting. Upon the junk walls were sentry turrets, which turned to fire automatic gunfire at the monsters.

The monsters, on the other hand, seemed to soak up the bullets from the "football guards". Whether they hurt them or not Nathan couldn't tell, but they made them angrier and fight harder. He knew that he had to intervene on their behalf. Turning on V.A.T.S., he scanned the monsters: species unknown, significant gamma radiation damage, traces of F.E.V., greater-than-normal physical strength and endurance. Nathan took aim at one of the monsters, who had nothing upon itself but scraps of clothing around its loins, and fired the laser rifle at the green dot. Righteous Authority had a substantial recoil, but Nathan gritted his teeth and fired again. This time the blast struck the monster fell from the second-story where it had been fighting.

"Brother!" roared one of the other monsters. "You die, stupid human!"

The monsters now had their attention on Nathan. Running behind cars for cover, he sent up another few blasts and burned off the arm of another one. The "football guards" concentrated their fire on the wounded one, sending it slumping down to the floor. The last one roared and beat its armored chest, but now it was heavily outnumbered. Bullets and laser-fire all focused on it, and slowly it was burned down until it collapsed in a twitching heap and moved no more. One of the "football guards" approached Nathan and addressed him in a Bostonian accent.

"Thanks for the help, pal," he said. "Couldn't'a done it without ya."

"My pleasure," Nathan replied, as he switched off V.A.T.S. "What were those things?"

"Supa mutants," he returned. "Nasty bastards. Good thing they didn't have any mini-nukes wit'em. Knew a fella who saw one o'them take outta whole caravan wit one'o'dem. Anyhow, welcome to Diamond City. Just follow the signs on inside. Oh, and don't cause any trouble. Wouldn't wanna have t' put you down or lock you up inna Pipa Suite."

Nathan and Dogmeat made their way from the site of the attack and started looking around for signs. True to the guard's word, there were signs which directed him down towards Jersey Street. He continued on his way, looking this way and that, hoping that more of these super mutants wouldn't try anything again. Seeing yet another monstrosity of the post-apocalyptic world was almost too much for one morning. Yet they didn't try anything. At last, following the signs, he came toward the front entrance of the stadium, where the turnstiles and ticket booths were situated. There was a great steel gate, controlled by a hydraulic arm, covering the entrance of the stadium. Nearby he saw a figure standing in front of an intercom, having a very animated argument with someone on the other end. As Nathan approached, he started to see a few more details about this figure.

It was a woman. He could tell that from her voice, the shoulder-length black hair rushing down from beneath her press-cap, and the curvature of her hips hidden beneath her red leather jacket. He couldn't see her face, but periodically she would make wide gestures with her arms and her voice would raise in pitch or let out a frustrated growl.

"What do you mean you can't open the gate?" she demanded of the intercom. "Stop playing around, Danny. I'm standing out in the open here, for cryin' out loud!"

"I got orders not to let you in, Miss Piper," came a very wearied voice on the other end of the intercom. "I'm sorry, I'm just doing my job." The woman leaped back in exaggerated surprise, her arms flailing up as she did.

"Oooh, just doing your job?" she squealed. "Protecting Diamond City means keeping me out, is that it?" She chuckled and lunged at the intercom. "Oh, look! It's the scary reporter! Boo!"

"I'm sorry," the exhausted Danny replied. "But Mayor McDonough's really steamed, Piper. He's sayin' that article you wrote was all lies. The whole city's in a tizzy." Still no response. The woman let out a frustrated groan.

"You open this gate right now, Danny Sullivan!" she demanded in a quick, assertive voice. "I live here, you can't just...lock me out!" She let out a frustrated sigh, then in a voice that was even more assertive, starting out slow and measured before breaking into a harsh demand, she said: "Open. This. Gate. Right now! I can wait all day, Danny, you know I can. Open up!" She let out another frustrating sigh, then turned around to the newcomer.

It was then that Nathan froze, his mouth hanging open. It wasn't the finger-less gloves she was wearing, or her green scarf, or the fact that she wore pants. It was the face. Apart from her eyes, which were brown instead of blue, she looked so much like Nora that Nathan forgot to draw breath. But then she spoke and the illusion was broken: she clearly wasn't Nora. Her voice had been sweeter than honey and smoother than oil, the voice of a woman: whereas this woman's voice had a hint of childlike impishness to it. His thoughts were briefly disrupted by the young woman asking him a question.

"Hey, you!" she whispered. "You want into Diamond City, right?"

"Uh, what?" he stammered.

"Shh! Play along!" she shushed. Taking a step back, she turned back to the intercom and started speaking in a louder voice as if holding a conversation with someone else who wasn't there. "What's that? Quincy? Wow, that's far away, and not an easy trip...wait, how much? God, that would keep the general store stocked for a month! Too bad they aren't letting us in. I'd hate to be the one to have to tell Crazy Myrna about how much she could have made buying supplies from you..."

"Geez, alright!" exclaimed a thoroughly exacerbated Danny from the other end of the console. "No need to make it personal, Piper. Give me a moment."

The sound of the hydraulic arm sounded and the great green door began to move upward, showing the empty concessions and ticket booths beyond the turnstile. The young woman turned to Nathan, a clever smile on her face.

"It worked! Come on, let's head inside before ol'Danny catches onto the bluff."

"What is this place?"

"The 'great green jewel?'" the woman replied. "She's a sight, isn't she? Everyone who's anyone in the Commonwealth is from here, settled here, or...got kicked outta here." She gestured with both of her thumbs at herself. "A big wall, some power, working plumbing, schools, and some security goons make Diamond City the big monster that she is, heh. Love it or hate it, you'll see for yourself soon enough. Let's go."

"You first," Nathan replied.

The young woman made a face, then turned about and went on through the turnstile. For a moment Nathan couldn't stop looking at her backside; even in that coat, which went down almost to her knees, he could still make out the shape of her rear end. But his thoughts were disrupted by a short, mustached man, roughly middle-aged, with a substantial gut. He wore a light brown suit, a faded red tie, and a trilby that matched his suit. As soon as he saw the young woman, his mustache curled, his face contorted into rage, and his hands flexed as he waved them about at her face in fists and accusatory fingers.

"Piper! You devious, rabble-rousing slanderer! Who let you back inside? I told Sullivan to keep that gate shut! The nerve! The...the level of dishonesty in that paper of yours! I'll have that printer scrapped for parts!"

"Ooh, is that a statement, Mr. McDonough?" she returned, gesticulating as she spoke. "'Tyrant mayor shuts down the press?'" She turned to Nathan. "Why don't we ask the newcomer? You support the news? 'Cuz the mayor's threatening to throw free speech in the dumpster!"

"What paper?"

"Mine! Publick Occurrences," the woman whom the mayor called Piper replied. "We're the hard look at the truth. Are you with us or not?"

"Well, now, I've always believed in freedom of the press..." At this moment, the rotund mayor cleared his throat loudly and turned to Nathan. He was now smiling, albeit uneasily, at him.

"Oh, I don't mean to bring you into this argument, good sir. No, no no, you look like Diamond City material." He then opened his arms widely. "Welcome to the Great Green Jewel of the Commonwealth! Safe...and happy." Nathan noticed he gave a venomous sideways glance at the young woman Piper, before turning back to him with a smile on his face. "A fine place to come, spend your money, or settle down. Don't let this muckraker here tell you otherwise, alright?"

"What's this about?" Nathan asked.

"What do you think?" Piper returned, her teeth clenched as she spoke. "Print lies and everybody's happy, but if you print the truth..."

The mayor cleared his throat and lowered his arms. "Now then, was there anything in particular you came to our city for, good sir?"

"I'm trying to find someone," Nathan replied. "My son Shaun...he's less than a year old."

"Wait, your son's missing?" Piper interjected, a hint of concern in her voice which seemed uncharacteristically altruistic of her, given Nathan's first impression. She then turned back to the mayor, a stern, inquisitive look on her face. "Oh, you hear that, McDonough? What's Diamond City Security going to do to help this man, huh? This isn't the first missing person's report to come through here, and now we've got an infant who's been taken?" It was rather impressive, Nathan thought, how she could talk so quickly and so clearly.

Once again, the Mayor cleared his throat, dismissed her inquiries, and turned back to Nathan. "Don't listen to her, I'm...I'm sure we'll be able to help you. While our security team can't follow every case that comes through, I'm confident that you'll find help here. Diamond City has every conceivable service known to man. One of our great citizens can surely find the time to help you."

"Well, one would think that the mayor of so great a city would know everyone," Nathan returned. "Or at least someone who could help me with this problem."

"Oh, I'm sorry," the mayor stammered. "I won't be taking any more questions. I'm a busy man, after all. Please, excuse me. Enjoy your stay in Diamond City."

"This is ridiculous!" Piper interjected. "Diamond City Security can't spare one officer to help?" She took a step closer to him, a discerning gleam in her brown eyes. "I want the truth, McDonough. What's the real reason Security never investig..."

"I've had enough of this, Piper!" the mayor retorted, dropping his friendly demeanor in the face of the plucky young reporter. "From now on, consider you and that little sister of yours on notice!" He turned around and made his way into the stadium.

"Yeah, keep talkin', McDonough, that's all your good for!" Piper called after him. He gave only a dismissive 'hrmph' and then disappeared. She turned back to Nathan, a cheeky grin on her face. "Ooh, a big Diamond City welcome from the mayor. You feel honored yet?" She then lowered her gaze, and then looked back up, biting her lower lip.

"Look, I gotta go get settled in, but...uh...stop by my office later. I have an idea for an article you'd be perfect for." She gave him a smile, then made her way into the stadium after the mayor. Nathan was stunned for a good long while: if he had been hypnotized by her hips, that smile had caused his heart to melt. He didn't think that anyone else could make him lose himself like that ever again. A whimper at his side caught his attention and he snapped out of his haze. Looking down, he saw Dogmeat looking up at him quizzically.

"Don't give me that look," he returned. "It's just an interview, that's all. And I'm not..." He realized that his voice was reverberating louder than he liked, and lowered it to a whisper. "...I'm not going to her right away. Need to see if I can find some food and supplies first." Dogmeat rubbed his nose against Nathan's knee. "Come on, I just...just met her. She's..." He trailed off, then suddenly remembered that his mouth was gaping open. "It's not betrayal! It's...it's not." He then took his duffle bag down, placed Righteous Authority inside it, and headed on after them into the stadium.

Inside he saw what remained of Fenway Stadium. The entire baseball field had been converted into a shanty town of sorts, with shacks lining every square inch of space and narrow alleys in between them. At the pitcher's mound there had been erected a sort of open-air market with a ring of shops outside and some on the inside. Looking up towards the stands, Nathan saw houses built there as well. There seemed to be very little in the way of free space here in what was now Diamond City. He made his way forward, down toward the home plate: to his amazement, the base was still there and two narrow streets, boarded over with pallets and boards, went in a straight line toward the first and third bases.

As he walked down the stairs from the entrance towards the home plate, he saw Piper speaking to a young girl in a large winter jacket who was standing on a wooden box. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but as soon as they had finished, Piper looked this way and that and ducked into a nearby shack. Nathan noticed the sign posted on the top of the building: Publick Occurrences. He walked over to the door and, remembering his manners, knocked on it. There was a sound of something heavy hitting the door from the other side and Piper exclaiming: "You're not throwing me out again, dammit!"

"Piper, it's me!" Nathan said.

"Oh! Sorry about that! Come on in."

Nathan opened the door and walked into the little shack, with Dogmeat stepping in silently after him. It seemed to be quite the mess. In one corner there was an old printing machine that seemed to be held together by tape and a random assortment of scavenged parts. There was an upper level accessed by a little ladder, but not much for head-room up there. Inside what could be considered "the main room" (though there really was only one room) there was a lantern sitting on what used to be a washer machine, a lamp hanging from the ceiling, an ice box to one side (Nathan wondered if it even had power to run), and a wooden pallet over the bare floor; upon the pallet was a ratty old couch toward which Piper gestured for him to sit. He took his seat and the dog cozened up next to his feet on the floor.

"Glad you dropped by," she said. "You holdin' up, Blue?"

"Blue? Why are you calling me that?"

"'Cuz of the blue Vault-suit you're wearing? Kind of a dead-give away." Piper then reached into an inner pocket of her red jacket and pulled out a pad of paper and a pencil, then turned back to Nathan. "So, here's the deal: I want an interview, your life's story in print. I think it's time Diamond City had a little outside perspective of the Commonwealth. You do that, and...uh...I'll tell you what: I'll come with you, watch your back while you get used to the world above ground."

Nathan's eyes widened with surprise at her eagerness to pack up with a complete stranger. He started to wonder if her intentions were less than honorable. "Well, just a minute now. What sort of interview are we talking about?"

"Really simple," Piper replied, seemingly oblivious to the implications he had noticed. "I ask who you are, get your opinion on life out there, and...maybe load up a few tough questions to keep it interesting. What do you say?"

Nathan was relieved that her intentions weren't as he thought. He knew in his heart that he wasn't over the death of Nora: it may have been two hundred years, but for him, it felt as though it were only two days ago. As for the interview, he was curious. Beyond Diamond City, he had no other leads except to "ask around" for help. Maybe if he got his story out in public, someone might give him the help he needed.

"Alright, Piper, I'm in."

"Good," she smiled, taking her pencil in hand and pacing the floor as she made a few notes on it. "Now, let's get down to business. So, I know you're from a Vault; how would you describe your time on the inside?"

Nathan's eyes drifted from Piper to the floor, but not towards Dogmeat's comforting glance. She had opened with one of the hardest questions he thought she could ask. He didn't want to have to relive this all over again: it was still too recent and real for him.

"Why does it matter?"

"It's a perspective piece, Blue," Piper replied. "People in Diamond City need to know you're from a different world than them. So, what was the Vault like?"

He sighed, and then tried to turn his mind back to that day and what brief details he remembered. But there was so little to think of. The bomb had just been dropped, towards Framingham he believed, and he had to be strong for Nora and Shaun. Even when they were safely inside, his mind hadn't been on anything in particular as he changed out of his old clothes into the blue jumpsuit he was now wearing.

"I didn't really spend much time in the Vault," he slowly said. "My family and I were...frozen."

"Wait, what? They put you in an ice-box the whole time? Are..." She looked up from her notepad with awe in her brown eyes as she took a brand new look at Nathan.

"Are you saying you were alive before the War? That you saw everything before it was blasted all to hell?"

"Yes," Nathan replied. "I guess...that makes me...240 years old."

She gasped in amazement. "Oh my god! The Man of out Time!" She quickly scribbled down the phrase, then turned back to Nathan. "So, you've seen some of the Commonwealth, not to mention Diamond City. How does it compare to your old life?"

He sighed in frustration. This was not going the way he had expected. "Can you even compare the two? The world out there is nothing like the one I left."

"Feeling a little homesick, are we?" she asked. "Can't say I blame you. Now, I already know you're looking for your son, Shaun. Do you suspect the Institute was involved in the kidnapping?"

"What?" Nathan asked. "The Institute? I thought they were a group of scientists. Why would they kidnap my son?"

"That, Blue, is the biggest mystery in the Commonwealth," Piper said. Here she halted in her pacing and turned directly to face him. "No one really knows who the Institute is, where they are, or what their motivations are; but their handiwork is all over. They send their synths out to do their dirty work for them. Sometimes they even replace a person with a synth double: a little covert agent no one would ever suspect. Before Nat and I moved to Diamond City, there was a big incident with one of the Institute synths: now everyone here is afraid of them." She breathed a sigh, as if trying to rain in her enthusiasm.

"Now, not everything that goes wrong has the Institute behind it, but there's always a chance. That's why I'm asking."

Now things were getting down to brass tax. But unfortunately, Nathan had no idea how to answer her. After all, he was still trying to block out what had happened. Seeing Nora get shot through the head only fifteen feet away from him was still rattling around in his mind and sapping his will. Still, he tried to think about the other figures. Chief among them was the man: bald-headed, scruffy-looking, dressed in a ragged black jacket and junk armor, and that pistol. But there was the woman as well: she was wearing some kind of hazmat suit, or at least it looked like one. Could it be...

"Maybe..." was all that he muttered.

"Not even a baby is safe from them," Piper commented, sniffing back tears. "And people wonder why I can't just look the other way." She cleared her throat, then continued pacing, writing notes on her pad. Nathan turned to her: he hadn't given a clear answer, so why had she acted as though he had?

"Okay, Blue, we're almost done here," she said. "For the last part of our interview, I'd like to do something different. I want you to make a statement to Diamond City directly. The threat of kidnapping is all but ignored in the Commonwealth. Everyone wants to pretend it just doesn't happen. So what would you..."

"Wait, people just ignore kidnappings out here?"

"Yeah, Blue, haven't you noticed?" She paused again from her writing, once more enthusiastically gesturing with her hands. "You grow up in the Commonwealth and eventually someone is going to get taken; maybe not someone you know, but someone. And people just say, 'Well, could have been worse. Could've been killed by raider attacks, or super mutants, or feral ghouls.' They just give up!" She let out a frustrated sigh and kicked the small stack of concrete bricks that separated the main room from the printing machine, then turned back to Nathan, trying to compose herself.

"So I want my readers to know what keeps you going. What would you say to someone who's lost a loved one but might be too scared or too numb to the world to look for them? Maybe it'll give them some hope, a little bit of inspiration. Now, what would you like to say?"

Nathan sighed. Hope. That was all he had at this moment. It was that hope alone, the hope that he could find Shaun, that kept him going. It was that hope that made him believe a crazy old druggie and her lucid dreams about Diamond City. He wondered if any of the people that had also lost loved ones were in his situation: desperately hoping to find them again, clinging on to any possible hope that they could still be alive...or at least...no, he didn't want to believe that. It couldn't be true. Shaun had to be alive.

"You can't give up hope," he said, slowly as he looked at the ground. "No matter how hard it looks, or how tired you get. You've got to just...believe that you'll see them again..." His voice caught. "...or at least, that you'll know the truth."

"Wow," Piper muttered. "A strong note to end on, Blue. Thanks." She slid the pad and pencil into an outer pocket of her jacket, then walked over to the wall and opened a gym locker that was sitting in the side of the room.

"That's everything," she said over her shoulder. "It's gonna take some time to put this all together, but I think your story is going to give Diamond City plenty to talk about." She turned about, and in her hand was a 10mm handgun. Nathan suddenly took attention at the firearm, but there was no need for worry. Her finger wasn't on the trigger and she immediately deposited it into the inner left pocket of her jacket. She then fished for a small box of 10mm bullets and added these to her jacket as well.

"So, I said I'd come with you, right? Watch your back?" she asked.

"Are you sure you want to go with me?" Nathan asked. "I mean, we just met and what about your paper?"

"The paper can wait, I guess," Piper replied. "Besides, I can't wait to see how this story turns out. I could even point you to someone who might be able to help you find your son."

"Really?" Nathan exclaimed, loud enough to wake Dogmeat, who had been sleeping on the floor this whole time. "Who? Where is he?"

"Our very own detective," she replied. "Name's Nick Valentine. Tracks down missing persons for a small fee, but he's on the level. Maybe we can pay him a visit?"

"Sure, where is he?"

"Come on, I'll show you."

(AN: This chapter was going to be longer, but I decided to keep it focused just on the meeting with Piper. One thing I found particularly poignant in Oxhorn's character review of Piper was that he was very critical of her journalist skills, accusing her of "yellow journalism". I made a hint of that where Nathan gives an ambiguous answer about the Institute and she takes it as an affirmative.)

(He is still driven, but stay tuned because the plot is about to thicken in the next chapter.)